The Explanation
by PLLHalebSpoby
Summary: Spoilers for 4x06 "Under the Gun." Emily is dealing with hurt feelings regarding the truth about the RV. When Toby visits the Brew and with some prodding, she manages to get the answers she needs, but they're unexpected.


The Brew was busier than usual that morning. Emily owed it up to it being a Sunday, when people were getting ready for the busy work week, and were either going to Church or spending the day with their loved ones.

"Hey, Em," Toby said quietly, appearing in front of her as he placed his credit card on the counter. "Can you just get me something with extra sugar, please?"

Emily nodded quietly as she filled his order, spraying the sugar on top of the frappe as she placed it back on the counter. "Here you go."

"Thank you."

"Wait-Did Spencer tell you that Mona told us about the RV?" Emily asked, choosing that time to take her break, as she walked out from behind the counter.

Toby paused before nodding, his sea-blue eyes downcast as he walked over to the seating area in the back of the Brew, occupying the spot the girls usually did.

"Yeah, she told me."

Emily nodded, as she took a seat next to him. "I guess my question is why? What does A have on you, Toby?"

Toby sighed, fearing that question. He knew his quest to find the truth about his mother would be over, if he told her. It would torture him for the rest of his life.

"It's something personal, Em. If I tell _anyone _else, it will be over."

"Anyone else?" Emily raised an eyebrow. "Spencer knows?"

Toby nodded, folding his hands in front of his face. "Even telling her was risky, but it was either that or my relationship with her."

And that was a road that he wasn't willing to travel on anymore, it was something that neither of them could survive for a second time. He had had the best of intentions in protecting her, but it had backfired so horribly.

"And what about _our _friendship? Our bond?" Emily prompted.

"It's not about that," Toby immediately contradicted.

"Then what?"

Toby sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he contemplated the position he was in. The last thing he wanted was to lose trust with the girls again, winning it back had been an uphill struggle, as it was.

"A few years ago, before my Mom died, she was really sick. It was really bad."

"How bad?"

"She wasn't acting like herself. She was sleeping all day, and her depressing was really bad, but she was still going on like everything was okay. Alison, she came over one afternoon."

"Alison did?"

Toby nodded. "We almost kissed, but my Mom walked in, Alison made a comment about her and I told her to leave."

Emily chuckled. "I bet she didn't appreciate that."

"Right after that, my Mom was taken to Radley. For awhile, things were getting better, and then-"

"And then she died?"

Emily, along with the rest of Rosewood, hadn't been privy to the real details surrounding Marion Cavanaugh's death, only that she had died in a tragic accident after suffering an illness.

"She jumped. After she had a session with her doctor, she stole a set of keys from the nurse's station, and jumped out her window."

Emily shook her head in disbelief as she reached over, rubbing Toby's arm soothingly. "I'm so sorry-"

"And they tried to say that it was suicide," Toby interjected. "But Spencer and I, we went back to Radley, and it didn't make sense that she would jump from that spot-"

"So what are you saying?" Emily asked.

"That it wasn't an accident," Toby replied bluntly. "Someone pushed her, someone did _something_."

"Who would do that?" She said, trying to speak to the rational part of her friend that would scoff at something so outlandish.

_Alison, _Toby thought, but bit back that retort as he focused on their conversation, and trying to present his case to her.

"I visited with my mother's doctor a few days ago, and he said something about the _air _around the person that visited her right before, a _blond _girl."

Emily gaped, her mouth hanging open before she quickly closed it. "A blond girl?"

Toby nodded. "Tell me how many blond girls we know in this town?"

"Well, it's obviously not Hanna," Emily said. "But Ali? Cece?"

Toby shrugged helplessly. "That's what I've been _trying _to figure out."

Emily could certainly understand why he had felt the need to have so much secrecy surrounding his mission, and why he had included as little people as possible.

"But what about the RV?"

"A told me to bring that. They said that if I did, I would find out more about my mother."

"And have you?"

"I got the transcripts I needed to know that she killed herself, and it was from her window."

"I'm sorry, Toby."

He nodded. "I'm sorry, too. For taking the RV, ruining your chances of figuring this thing out."

"You didn't," she reassured him. "A probably would have taken it back regardless if you had brought it or not."

He nodded, still looking unsure. "Thank you for understanding."


End file.
